If your baby is fussier than usual, drooling more, and chewing on everything in sight, there’s a good chance a tooth is on its way. Most babies cut their first tooth between 6 and 10 months old, when the lower front teeth (central incisors) push through the gums. The process isn’t fun for anyone, but it’s predictable, manageable, and temporary.
Which Teeth Come In and When
Teeth generally arrive in a loose order, starting from the front and working back. The lower central incisors usually come first at 6 to 10 months, followed by the upper central incisors at 8 to 12 months. From there, the lateral incisors (the teeth flanking the front two) fill in between roughly 9 and 16 months.
The first molars show up around 13 to 19 months, canines between 16 and 23 months, and the second molars last, arriving between 23 and 33 months. By around age 3, most children have a full set of 20 primary teeth. Every baby runs on their own schedule, though. Some are born with a tooth already visible, and others don’t see one until close to their first birthday. If your baby hasn’t gotten any teeth by 9 months, it’s worth mentioning to your pediatrician, but even that is rarely a sign of a real problem.
What Teething Actually Looks Like
The classic signs are increased drooling, swollen or tender gums, irritability, and a strong urge to bite or chew on hard objects. You might notice your baby rubbing their face or pulling at their ears on the side where a tooth is emerging, which can make it tricky to tell teething apart from an ear infection. A helpful rule of thumb: teething can cause a slight rise in body temperature, but not a true fever. A reading under 100.4°F falls within the normal teething range. If your baby’s temperature hits 101°F or higher, especially combined with ear-pulling and persistent crying, an ear infection is more likely and worth a call to your pediatrician.
Teething discomfort tends to come and go. It’s usually worst in the days right before and right after a tooth breaks through the gum surface, then settles down until the next tooth starts moving. Molars, with their larger surface area, often cause more discomfort than the front teeth.
Safe Ways to Ease the Pain
The simplest remedy is also one of the most effective: something cold and safe to chew on. A chilled (not frozen) teething ring made from BPA-free silicone or natural rubber in a one-piece design is ideal. Avoid liquid-filled teething rings, which can leak bacteria or chemicals if punctured. Freezing a teether makes it too hard and can actually hurt sensitive gums rather than soothe them.
A clean, damp washcloth chilled in the refrigerator works well too. You can let your baby gnaw on it, and the texture plus the cold provides real relief. Gently rubbing your baby’s gums with a clean finger also helps, especially when you can feel a ridge where the tooth is about to break through.
If your baby seems genuinely uncomfortable and none of the non-medication options are cutting it, infant acetaminophen is an option for babies older than 8 weeks. It can be given every 4 to 6 hours, up to 5 times in 24 hours. For babies 6 months and older, infant ibuprofen is another choice, given every 6 to 8 hours (with food or milk to avoid stomach upset), up to 4 times daily. Always dose by your baby’s weight, not age, and check with your pediatrician if you’re unsure about the right amount.
Products to Avoid
Some of the most widely marketed teething products are genuinely dangerous. The FDA has issued direct warnings against using any gels, creams, or tablets containing benzocaine or lidocaine on infants’ gums. These numbing agents offer little to no real benefit for teething and carry serious risks. Benzocaine can cause a condition that drastically reduces the blood’s ability to carry oxygen, which can be fatal. Lidocaine, if accidentally swallowed or applied in too large a dose, can cause seizures, heart problems, and severe brain injury. Homeopathic teething tablets have also drawn FDA warnings.
Amber teething necklaces are another product that sounds natural but poses real danger. Retailers claim that body heat releases a pain-relieving substance from the amber beads, but there is no scientific evidence supporting this. What is documented is the risk: the FDA issued a warning in 2018 after receiving reports of children choking on beads that broke off and an 18-month-old who was strangled to death by an amber necklace during a nap. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants not wear any jewelry at all. The risk is both strangulation and choking, and no unproven pain relief is worth either.
Caring for New Teeth
As soon as that first tooth appears, it needs cleaning. Wipe it gently with a soft, damp cloth or use an infant-sized toothbrush with a tiny smear of fluoride toothpaste (about the size of a grain of rice). It might feel premature, but early teeth are vulnerable to decay, especially if your baby falls asleep with a bottle.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the ADA, and the AAP all recommend scheduling your child’s first dental visit before their first birthday. This initial appointment is less about treatment and more about getting a baseline, learning proper cleaning techniques, and building your child’s comfort with the dentist early on. Starting dental care this young significantly reduces the risk of cavities down the road.
Teething vs. Something Else
One of the trickiest parts of teething is that it overlaps with the age when babies start getting more colds, ear infections, and stomach bugs. It’s easy to blame everything on teething, but some symptoms don’t belong in that category. Diarrhea, rashes that aren’t around the mouth or chin, vomiting, and prolonged high fevers are not caused by teething. If your baby has a temperature of 100.4°F or higher, that crosses the threshold from “slight teething warmth” into actual fever territory, and something else is likely going on.
Teething pain also doesn’t last for weeks on end. If your baby has been inconsolable for days, isn’t eating, or seems sick rather than just uncomfortable, trust your instincts and look beyond the gums for an explanation.